Capital Punishment

Life is every person’s most precious possession. It is a thing that almost no one is willing to give away. So what about those who take someone's life for profit, from envy, rage or any other negative emotion? One of our rules that we learn even in kindergarten is "an eye for an eye", it is even written in the Holy Scripture. So what punishment is fit for taking someone's life? The only answer is death penalty. Capital punishment is a harsh but necessary form of justice. In some circumstances, which can be detailed, it is the only punishment that fits the crime. It is even historically validated. It should be sustained and more effectively pursued. It can properly punish the criminals, it could deter the crime, and remove future possible threat from our society.

Some crimes are terrible, some people commit such atrocities that it is even hard to write about it. There was a case in Massachusetts where two men were accused of luring a 10-year old boy into their car. The boy's body was found in concrete filled container thrown into the
river, after he was sexually molested and drenched in gasoline. After proving their guilt, there is one question: should we let them live and put them in prison paid by our money? I think the answer is obvious. Taking this boy's life they automatically sentenced themselves. This one example is good justification for capital punishment.

The second argument is actually the weakest one from my examples. It is a claim often made by supporters of the death penalty. The claim is that the threat of capital punishment reduces violent crimes. Opponents of the death penalty do not agree and have a valid argument when they say, "The claims that capital punishment reduces violent crime is inconclusive and certainly not proven." I am not refuting this accusation. In fact, statistics show that the death penalty neither lowers nor raises the incidence of violent crimes. But I want to believe that it has some impact on potential criminals and may scare them into thinking twice before they murder someone.

My main point in supporting the death penalty is that it can remove individuals who threaten the lives of our citizens. During serving lifetime sentence in prison many things may happen. In some cases prisoners can escape and be a great danger to the society, they can be very serious because they feel they have nothing to loose. Another case is that lifetime sentence can be shortened because of appeals and revisions after 20 or so years. And after serving his time the criminal is loose on the streets again. For some of them freedom is a temptation to repeat their actions. We must prevent such things from happening. We will all feel safer when the worst evildoers will pay the highest price for their crimes.

Many Americans believe that the death penalty is wrong. However, it seems obvious tosome them that the death penalty is a just and proper way to handle convicted murderers.The physical mechanics involved in the act of execution are easy to grasp, but the emotions involved in carrying out a death sentence on another person, regardless of how much they deserve it, is beyond my own understanding. I know it must be painful, and sometimes sickening. However, this act is sometimes necessary and it is our responsibility as a society to see that it is done.

Writing this essay I used following sources:
Books: "Moral implications of human life" by Tadeusz Brzozowski, Warsaw, 1982
Internet: "Capital Punishment justified" by Mindi Altman at www.badgerherald.com/opinion/fall97/110397opinion1.html
" Death Penalty Discussion" at: www.csc.calpoly.edu/~ercarl/
"Internet polish resources” at www.onet.pl